Addendum, literally everything about Blades episode 1.
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Iâve enjoyed different shows in different ways.
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I enjoyed Mirrorshades (the show that actually got me interested in Rollplay) and fell in love with how committed the entire cast was to the very unique, dating-sim in a cyberpunk world. The cast also played up their characters to the gills, and Adam as a GM asked all of the super-interesting questions that really made the cast bloom.
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I enjoyed West Marches for the rotating cast, many of whom really had enjoyable and eccentric characters, how well Steven made up wonderful set-pieces off of a random encounter generator, and how interesting and varied the world was.
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Court of Swords started rocky for me, the team had a veryâŚdeliberate pace through all the action, and it felt like it dragged. Including Geoff, someone whoâs always going to push the pace and instill extra energy anyway, really pushed it over the edge and brought me back into it. Maybe the original trio were just a little too bought into their ability to call on additional resources.
Looking at it, I think I enjoy shows that have a cast that is comfortable together, and equipped by the system, the setting, and the DM to push an exciting pace - for whatever the show is.
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What I makeâs RollPlay fun to watch for me is actually the fun the people playing have playing. Whether itâs the jokes between characters because of some outrageous situation the party has gotten itself into or some super serious situation where TPK is on the line and all the players are desperately going through their abilities list to find some way to lawyer their way out of it thatâs when I find myself laughing along or screaming GM horseshit at the screen.
I always like it when a show evolves and becomes something I wasnât exactly expecting when it began. My favourite show is Mirrorshades as the show about âelite agentsâ ended up being a Romantic comedy about a group of ineffective criminals and it is always fun to see a show that has found its voice and gone with the flow.
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For me the most important this is that the players by into the world/campaign and system.
If everyone knows what they are getting into in terms of tone, atmosphere, and mechanics then it seems to click very easily and makes for smooth listening too.
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Moments like Bregor/Taric rolling 3 natural ones
in a row, Mr Sâs spacewalk and his duel, the end of âThe Dateâ with
Bon-bon and Breakdown, the death of Juliette, the resurrection of
Shialbaz.
Funny moments, like Kovacs in the staircase, Jizz music, supercars full of hamburgers.
Itâs a combo of good RP and the crucial dice rolls that helps make these moments.
These are why I watch RollPlay.
The game system doesnât matter to me, just provides the setting and flavor of the game imo.
The short answer is: Geoff.
The slightly longer answer is: The system really does not matter in a show, as long as there is one that is remotely understandable for the audience. What matters is the chemistry between players and GM but also the audience. For example: The comic relief that Geoff brought to CoS really lightened up the show. I guess the mood and attidude of the people involved needs to mix well to become entertainment and for a show to be interesting enough to keep watching.
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There have been a lot of other responses here that touch on the same things, so Iâm not going to touch on those. Instead Iâm going to say that what makes these shows really fun for me is being able to make a mental image of whatâs happening.
The first example that pops into my head is when the PCâs first encountered the Serpents of Woe in the West Marches. I think Steven did a great job of describing the Serpents rising up out of the pools; it gave the show a sense of dread and anxiety in that mental picture that reached out and effected me as a viewer.
Another example that helps me make a mental picture is how @AdamKoebel makes movie scenes and action sequences. I loved the Pfotenhauer ship prologue sequences at the beginning of Swansong episodes. Then diagonal wipe to the PCâs. It really helped get my imagination going.
To summarize, good descriptions help me engage in the shows and with what the characters are doing.
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Totally agree with everything said.
For me the vast majority is the Cast.
After watching lots of Rollplay and other streaming games I realized it comes down to the cast. JP does an amazing job of assembling a group that works well together. The reason I canât get into many other streamed roleplay games is they people playing seem nice and all but since they arenât streamers they lack the personality and audio equipment for a good cast.
Even if people are good friends it doesnât make for a good viewer experience. Rollplay usually has a good blend of the players knowing each other as well as they know how to perform for an audience.